SugarHouse Money To Be Doled Out
Who'll get a slice of the $175,000 gambling pie?
SugarHouse Money To Be Doled Out
Ronnie Polaneczky, Daily News Columnist
Back in October, I mentioned in a column that the brand-new Penn Treaty Special Services District had received its first check, for $175,000, from SugarHouse Casino. The money was the first payment to result from the community-benefits agreement that had been negotiated between the casino and neighborhood residents, including Fishtown Action - or FACT - a pro-casino group that supports gambling on the riverfront.
(When all is said and done, the annual payments by SugarHouse to the SSD - which covers Fishtown, Northern Liberties and parts of Kensington - could reach $1.5 million.)
Now it's time to dole out that frst $175,000, reports Hayden Mitman of the Star, in a nice, must-read update. On Wed., Jan. 20 at 6:30pm, five local groups will make pitches for the cash before the seven-member SSD, at a public presentation at Liberties Restaurant and Bar, 2nd St. and Fairmount Ave.
Also, on Sat., Jan. 30, FACT and SugarHouse will host a jobs seminar at Holy Name of Jesus Church, Berks and Gaul Sts., starting at 10:30 a.m. Advance registration is required by contacting careers@sugarhousecasino.com or by calling 267-232-2303 and leaving a message.
This reporter just loves to shill for the predatory gambling trade. She was silent, of course, when SugarHouse was lobbying for slots-on-credit and to preempt Philly's smoking ban. Sickening.— NotADoneDeal- Thanks for your note, NotADoneDeal. Please clarify for me or for readers of this blog: How did I "shill" for the predatory gambling trade? I'd be interested to know. Thanks.— ronnie polaneczky
- We are very fortunate that FACT and the New Kensington CDC stepped up and neogiated a Community Benefits Agreement with the SugarHouse. Had these two organizations, like the other community groups, refused to neogiate with SugarHouse, the Fishtown and Northern Liberties neighborhoods would now have NO direct funding from this casino. The learned equalityman salutes these two fine organizations.— equalityman
Comment removed.- It's a MIRACLE that Penn Treaty SSD exists. It is made up of people who are known and respected in the Casino's neighboring community(ies). While our political leaders smoozed with the anti-casino folks, the REAL leaders of Fishtown kept their eyes on the prize: JOBS WITH BENEFITS, and this SSD. Thank you FACT and NKCDC.— PhillyS1980
- Mr. NotaDoneDeal doesn't realize it IS a Done deal. Ronnie, that answers part of your question. NADD calls you a "shill" because you actually met with Fishtown Leaders and printed their words. HORROR! That you would record the voice of over 400+ Fishtown Folk instead of the 20 or so anti's who caused much ado about nuthin. Don't wanna gamble? Don't want to use your credit card? Hate people smoking? This one's easy. STAY AWAY!— FishTownForever
- Comment removed.
- There's a also a HUGE loophole in this CBA...until the 10-story SugarHouse garage is built...the full amount of money will not be distributed. The stage 1 plan calls for no garage. Let's see if it ever gets built. And fill disclosure...how much has SugarHouse spent in advertising in The Star? It's an absurd % of ad revenue.— rbpeeple
- well said phillys1980
- The Equalityman is not surprized that Mr. Rhpeeple is now taking a negative shot at the CBA when he/she and the anti-casino elected not to join the neogiations or provide any input while it was being developed. The Equalityman is disappointed with the comments of Mr. Rbpeeple.— equalityman
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with, “Yeah, so what happened was…”.
Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob” – or Mary – “and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are too direct for that. They just say, “Yeah, so what happened was…”, and then tumble into a tale they think oughta be shared with a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with fellow citizens in a way that no other job allows. Well, okay, no other job for which I’m remotely qualified.
That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”. To me, it’s the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter and various pets in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.
Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green
Reach Ronnie at polaner@phillynews.com.
